


Obstacles

by twinfinite



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Friendship, Gen, set after The Ember Island Players
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-05
Updated: 2014-08-05
Packaged: 2018-02-11 20:20:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2081832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twinfinite/pseuds/twinfinite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Katara hovers and Zuko awkwardly manages to excel at motivational speaking.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Obstacles

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written anything like this for literally years, and I'm really rusty. But I tried.
> 
> It feels like this is an unpopular opinion, but I absolutely love Katara and Zuko as friends. I don't like Zutara, but I love platonic interactions between them. So this happened.

            In the days spent waiting for the arrival of Sozin’s comet, it began to feel as though each day was dedicated solely to Aang’s training; each of his masters were grasping for as much time with their pupil as they could possibly fit in without wearing out the poor kid.

            Each morning at sunrise was Zuko’s usual timeslot. As soon as the sun broke over the morning horizon, the two benders would be up fine-tuning forms, and occasionally they would, despite Aang’s continuing distaste for fire as a weapon, spar. Toph insisted on afternoons, because she preferred to sleep late and start the morning on her time. It would always become a slight day trip, because the residents of Ember Island were sure to notice the sounds of giant flying rocks crashing against each other. Aang tended to return bruised and frustrated, which made dusk the perfect time for Katara to step in and provide a more relaxed lesson with perhaps the only element other than air that Aang genuinely seemed to enjoy working with these days.

            Zuko and Toph had a tendency to do their teaching and then leave Aang alone, but Katara had a difficultly curbing her curiosity about whether or not her friend was doing well with his other teachers. She called it curiosity, though a more accurate word may have been protectiveness. She had seen Aang struggle fiercely with both earth and fire before, and she also knew that the immense pressure being put on her friend was enough to tear anyone at the seams. She felt an instinctive need to be close to him, in those days.

            The exact reasons for her concern were not ones she liked to contemplate for too long. There was a time and a place, and in the middle of a war was not it.

            Toph made her feelings on the matter clear the first time Katara ever tagged along to an earthbending practice.

            “Look, Sweetness, if you’re worried I’m gonna bring Aang back smashed into little pieces, you should stop.”

            “I’m not worried about that! Well, not that much. I just like to watch, and see how things are going.”

            Toph flashed Katara an appraising look.

            “Whatever. Just don’t get in the way. And don’t even think about questioning my teaching methods!”

            And that had been that. Katara thanked the stars that she and Toph had improved their relationship recently, or her continued presence may have elicited a less passive response.

            With Zuko, things were much different.

            The first time Katara woke up in time to catch the beginnings of Aang’s firebending practice, Zuko gave her a searching glance that spoke volumes. _Do you still not trust me with Aang?_ There was a hint of hurt at the perceived lack of trust. To answer, Katara gave him a casual shrug. _Hey, I’m only here because I have nothing better to do._ This seemed to placate him enough, and the firebending lesson began as if she weren’t there.

            It wasn’t until after Katara had been sitting in on either all or part of every single proceeding lesson that Zuko confronted her. It must have been the tenth lesson Katara had watched, and the two firebenders were lighting up the beach house courtyard with brilliant flames, performing what Katara could only guess to be a high-level, complex form in impressive unison. With rapt attention, Katara watched the boy she’d seen afraid to muster up even the smallest spark blast intense fire all around while standing next to the person that had been all too keen to burn him to a crisp mere weeks before. It was still a sight that Katara found hard to believe at times, though she was coming to be intensely grateful for it.

            The sound of Zuko’s authoritative voice knocked her out of her reverie.

            “That’s getting better, Aang. You still need to work on the control, though. It’s not just about the power of the attacks: precision is the key in this form.”

            “Do you want me to do it again, then?” Aang asked, not even trying to hide the fact that he desperately wanted to be done for the day.

            Zuko looked as if he wanted nothing more than to grill Aang on the form until the sun went down, but, as Katara saw with amusement, even the aloof teenager wasn’t completely immune to Aang’s puppy dog eyes.

            “That should be enough for now, as long as you do your breathing exercises later today,” he allowed.

            “Aw yeah!” Aang celebrated, and, before Zuko could add any more exercises to his list of bending homework, he speed off towards the water. Zuko sighed, and shook his head, and though he was obviously frustrated with Aang, Katara noted that there was a definite hint of affection for Aang’s enthusiastic ways in his face as well. She smiled at the thought before noticing that Zuko had trained his eyes on her.

            “Uh, so…do you just enjoy watching us throw flames around, or…?” Zuko awkwardly inquired once he was certain that Aang had run out of earshot- the boy was already getting in a quick swim before Toph wrangled him into more earthbending boot camp.

            “Oh! Well, no, it’s just that it’s pretty boring around here, and I- I figured I might as well… see how Aang’s doing.” Katara stammered, unprepared for an interrogation.

            Zuko narrowed his eyes, and Katara could tell that he was immediately coming to the conclusion that she was badly covering up her distrust. Zuko sighed with resignation and opened his mouth to say something, but Katara cut him off.

            “I know what it looks like, but I really did mean what I said when I told you I trusted you. And I don’t think you’re doing a bad job or anything, either. I just…” Katara trailed off, unsure exactly how to phrase her intentions.

            “Don’t worry. I get it.” Zuko interjected, thankfully saving her from having to word her feelings with care.

            “You do?” Katara responded dubiously.

            “Aang’s basically got the fate of the world on his shoulders these days, and we’re all working him pretty hard. You’re worried about him.” Zuko kept his tone nonchalant. He sat down on the side of the stone fountain, and Katara, realizing that it was his way of inviting conversation, joined him.

            “It’s not that I’m…worried so much,” Katara said. “That makes it sound like I don’t think he can take it. Like I don’t believe in him. Which I do! I really, really do.” The conviction in her tone was genuine.

            “I’m sensing a but,” Zuko said. Katara frowned at him.

            “It’s just a lot for one person to handle. He’s learning three elements in such a short period of time, and I know that he’s trying his best to stay strong, but…”

            “But you care about him, and you’re worried.” Zuko repeated.

            Katara sighed again. “Maybe a little. I feel like I really want to teach Aang as much as possible in the time we have, but I’m worried that we’ll just drive him into the ground. I want him to be ready, but I don’t want to overwhelm him, you know?”

            “Katara, do you know what Aang and I just finished this lesson up with?” Zuko asked.

            “No. Should I?” She replied, not seeing where he was going.

            “That was one of the most difficult firebending forms that can be taught. It took me three years to even get to a place where I could attempt it, and after that, another three to actually master it completely. I taught it to Aang after three _weeks_ of training, and you know what? I think in another three weeks, he might have it. He’s a strong kid.”

            With this, Katara laughed a bit.

            “You know, back when I first met Aang, and I’d never had a waterbending master before, I tried to teach Aang some of the things I’d taught myself. I spent all my life trying to learn just the simplest moves, and when I taught them to Aang, it took him all of five seconds to make my waterbending pale in comparison!”

            Katara chuckled lightly again, and to her surprise, Zuko quietly joined in. The laughter quickly died off, however, and the two benders lapsed into quiet contemplation.

            “It’s never fun,” Zuko said, breaking the silence.

            “What?” questioned Katara, taken aback.

            “Seeing people have things come so easily to them, I mean. When you have to work so hard, and struggle so much, and then to see someone surpass you so easily.” Zuko had taken on the far-off look that he was often wont to adopt, especially since the beginning of their stay at Ember Island.

            Katara felt a wash of shame come over her, recalling how jealous she’d become at Aang’s initial success, and how irrational it had made her.

            “It's pretty weird to think that I’m teaching him, even though he was such a natural, and I…just wasn’t.” Katara hadn’t even realized that this was such as sore spot for her until now.

            “If it makes you feel any better, I was a terrible firebender for years,” Zuko stated, his face neutral.

            “What, seriously? You didn’t seem like you could have been that bad when you were chucking fire at us left and right back in the good old days,” Katara teased with a smirk.

            Zuko glared at her for the reminder, huffed, and ignored her.

            “Yes, seriously. And I had to grow up next to Azula, the prodigy, making me look like such an idiot every time I even tried anything.” Despite his words, Zuko actually seemed more amused than bitter. Katara raised a questioning eyebrow.

            “It used to bother me a lot more than it does now,” Zuko clarified. “I’ve realized that I’m actually stronger for it. I had to work so hard for every little thing, and I’ve come across so many obstacles. Fighting hard to get to where I am today has given me drive to keep going, even when it looks like it’s impossible. You fought hard to get to be in the place where you were Aang’s master, and Aang’s fighting hard to learn all the elements in too short a time. The people we’re up against, they don’t know what it’s like to come across obstacles. My father, Azula- things have come easily to them, and that’s why we’re going to win. Because we’ll be an obstacle, and they won’t know how to deal with it.”

            Zuko stood up and stretched, pacing a bit.

            “I guess my point is, I believe in Aang, too. I think he can handle all of this. He’s a powerful bender, and he can take the training.”

            Katara smiled. “Wow, Zuko. Motivational speaking? Who knew you had it in you! You’re going to make me tearbend.”

            “Hey, I’m trying my best!”

            Katara laughed good-naturedly. “Relax! I’m only kidding. That was actually really sweet.”

            Zuko looked as though he couldn’t have been more uncomfortable, but flattered nonetheless.

            “I really, really needed to hear that, today. So, thanks,” she added.

            “So, are you going to stop watch Aang like a hawk during our practices all the time then?”

            “Of course not.”

            Zuko gave her an odd smile.

            “What’s that look for?” Katara demanded, uncomfortable.

            “Nothing. You just really care about that kid a lot, don’t you?”

            Katara blushed madly, but surprised herself with her reply.

            “I really, really do.”


End file.
